Holman Heritage Community Center gets a new roof

Stuttgart City Councilman Jim Craig said Reynolds’ Construction of White Hall is the general contractor with 90 days to complete re-roofing the nearly 20,000 square foot building.

Sarah Morris, smorris@stuttgartdailyleader.com

Repairs started Monday at Holman Heritage Community Center.

Stuttgart City Councilman Jim Craig said Reynolds’ Construction of White Hall is the general contractor with 90 days to complete re-roofing the nearly 20,000 square foot building. The company bid $279,000 for the project.

The front part of the 605 N. Buerkle St. building is in the worst shape. Jason May, assistant production coordinator, said they are moving south to north on the roof, exchanging the flat roof to a tapered one.

The company is using two five-man crews. The building can still be used during construction and, once finished, the new roof will have a 20-year warranty.

“Once this is done, we’ll have to look at what we have left,” Craig said. Additional work includes mold remediation and dealing with some lead paint and asbestos.

Later, Let’s Paint Stuttgart will also paint the interior and the exterior where needed.

According to the Historic Preservation Alliance of Arkansas, the “institution that would become the Holman School began with funds from the Julius Rosenwald Foundation in 1924.”

However, this structure was replaced with the present Holman School building in the early 1940s. It served as an African American school until the 1970s when Stuttgart High School was desegregated. Its gymnasium was built in 1955 and is still used for its monthly Sunday dinners.

The Holman Heritage Development Corporation bought Holman in 1996 to use as a community education and health center. In 2008, a tornado’s straight line winds severely damaged the roof.

Residents now hope to restore the building for community and civic activities as well as historical significance.Craig said private donors contributed $210,000 along with two economic development grants worth $25,000 and $220,000. A third $5,000 Delta Regional Authority grant is to be used for paints and supplies to repaint Holman’s interior.

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